Taste & See

Zac Wierschem
  • 5.0 (18)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Taste & See is a weekly podcast of heartfelt reflections and meditations on the Sunday readings. Join Zac Wierschem from Paradisus Dei as he guides you into a deeper encounter with Jesus—alongside a global community that prays together each week. Learn more about Paradisus Dei and our life-changing programs at: paradisusdei.org

  1. APR 14

    Recognizing Him Again

    This episode on Gospel of Luke 24:13–35 reveals that the story of Cleopas and the road to Emmaus is not just a past event, but the very pattern of every Mass today. Just as the disciples encountered Jesus in their pain and recognized Him in the breaking of the bread, we too are invited to move from routine to real encounter with Christ in the Eucharist. The episode challenges listeners to approach Mass with renewed faith, seeing it as a living meeting with the risen Jesus who walks with us in our pain and transforms it into joy.Reflection Questions: Where in your life right now do you feel like you’re “walking away” from something (like the disciples leaving Jerusalem)?Why do you think the disciples didn’t recognize Jesus at first?What would it look like to go to Mass as if it were your first, last, and only Mass? Here's the link to the meditation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nbQ102_OpEyJxg8zNWaDP_qqF2la8XTF71tTwphmgmo/edit?usp=sharing ____ Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here. The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations. Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B MusicMeditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

    33 min

  2. APR 7

    The Whole Gospel in Three Words

    This episode reflects on Divine Mercy Sunday through Gospel of John 20:19–23, revealing that the risen Christ enters our fear, guilt, and shame not with condemnation, but with the gift of peace through forgiveness. Through the powerful witness of Immaculée Ilibagiza, the episode shows that true Christian mission is not primarily about great external works, but about radical forgiveness that flows from receiving God’s mercy. Ultimately, it challenges listeners to become missionaries of mercy—receiving Christ’s peace in the sacraments and extending it to others, even when it costs everything.Reflection Questions: What does Jesus saying “Peace be with you” mean personally to me right now?What strikes me most about Immaculée Ilibagiza’s story?Who is one person I need to forgive this week? Here's a link to the meditation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZC8FzEXTIEftzvjpQ1-8gC2TjwqgF-UkOPDfsLvkWTE/edit?usp=sharing ___ Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here. The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations. Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B MusicMeditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

    32 min

  3. MAR 31

    Step 7: Practice Superabundant Mercy

    This episode centers on Mary Magdalene in Gospel of John 20: 1–9, revealing how deep love for Christ becomes a channel of “superabundant mercy”—a grace that prevents us from falling into sin rather than just forgiving us after. Through a personal story of heartbreak and unexpected redirection from missionary life, Zac shows how choosing to praise God in suffering becomes the very way God protects and heals the heart. You are invited to recognize the hidden mercies in your own life and to actively extend that same mercy to others, especially in moments where bitterness or self-protection would be easier. Reflection Questions: Where in my life has God protected me from sin before I even fell?How do I typically respond when my plans fall apart unexpectedly?How can I make it easier for others to do good and harder to fall into sin? Here's a link to the examen: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QS4Lgi78OYcOoipmZ9g_Pf6Pzd3BZQp6LzBy7ahFojM/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here. The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations. Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B MusicMeditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

    37 min

  4. MAR 24

    Step 6: Find God in Others

    This episode connects Gospel of Matthew 21:1–11 with the mystery of the Incarnation, showing how Jesus intentionally enters Jerusalem in radical humility by riding a donkey—a symbol of burden, suffering, and the human condition. Drawing from his lived experience in Kibera, Zac illustrates how the donkey mirrors our own wounded and burdened hearts, which Christ chooses to sit upon and carry into victory as the true “Living Water.” The invitation of Palm Sunday is to recognize Christ coming to us through others’ suffering, to lay down our burdens before Him, and to welcome Him as King into the “Jerusalem” of our own lives. Reflection Questions: Where in my life do I feel like a “beast of burden,” weighed down by responsibilities or suffering?When I encounter someone who is struggling, do I see inconvenience—or an opportunity to encounter Christ?What practical step can I take to lighten someone else’s burden this week? Here's a link to the meditation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rFOrpouYyrlIeIChXaZIN4dxl1hn_1ydIjgPQnQjm5s/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here. The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations. Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B MusicMeditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

    36 min

  5. MAR 17

    Step 5: Find God in Yourself

    On this Fifth Sunday of Lent in John 11:1–45, Jesus reveals Himself as “the resurrection and the life,” entering into human suffering—He even weeps—and calling Lazarus out of death to manifest God’s glory. Through the story of Raul, a dying man encountered at the Missionaries of Charity, the episode shows that even in weakness and confusion, there can be a profound encounter with God dwelling within us, inviting us into deeper union with Him. Step 5 of the Lenten journey—“Find God in Yourself”—calls us to recognize that God is not distant but present within our suffering, speaking our name and inviting us to come out of whatever binds us into new life.Reflection Questions How do I respond when God doesn’t act on my timeline, like when Jesus delayed going to Lazarus?What does it mean to me personally that “Jesus wept”?Raul was dying but seeing—am I living, but failing to see? Here's a link to the meditation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TgHCE4NdPvJmcWU13QSYQ-mS5V5C2trfIIyOaURUbmc/edit?usp=sharing _________________________ Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here. The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations. Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B MusicMeditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

    37 min

  6. MAR 10

    Step 4: Rejoice, Beloved Sinner

    In this episode we reflect on Gospel of John 9:1–41 where Jesus heals the man born blind and reveals that true sight is not only physical vision but the ability to recognize God at work in our lives. As the fourth step of the Lenten journey toward superabundance—Set Your Mind on the Things Above—listeners are invited to see themselves honestly as beloved beggars before God who depend completely on His mercy. When we allow Christ to open the eyes of our hearts, we begin to see the extraordinary love of God present even in the ordinary and difficult moments of our lives. Reflection Questions In what areas of my life might I be spiritually blind right now?What might Jesus be trying to reveal to me through the ordinary events of my daily life?What would it look like this week to intentionally “set my mind on the things above”? Here's a link to the meditation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19FPsZbf3ILsBQzZXBQWXxrKepI3IzvMfG-44Mc_JGK0/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here. The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations. Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B MusicMeditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

    35 min

  7. MAR 3

    Step 3: Give God Your Time — Thirsting for Living Water

    Reflecting on Gospel of John 4:5–42 (The Woman at the Well), the third step to superabundance invites us to give God some of our time in prayer, especially at the places of our deepest thirst. Just as Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at noon—at the height of heat, shame, and longing—He waits for us in our guilt, distraction, and spiritual dryness, asking only, “Give me a drink.” By offering Him intentional time in prayer, we allow Him to satisfy our thirst with living water, transforming our shame into mission and our emptiness into joy. Journal Questions: Do I believe that Jesus is already waiting for me in my place of shame?Where in my life right now do I feel most thirsty—emotionally, spiritually, or relationally?What is one concrete time this week I can set aside solely for prayer? Here's the link to the meditation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vvvavRLmqhvfKcIv9DTjNimxQHBBsD1GwkgFezBd1vg/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here. The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations. Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B MusicMeditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

    36 min

  8. FEB 24

    Step 2: Use Money for Others

    In this episode reflecting on Gospel of Mark 9:2–10 and the Transfiguration, the second step to superabundance invites us to use money for others as a natural response to an authentic encounter with Christ. Just as the disciples saw everything differently after meeting Jesus on the mountain, a true encounter with Him—especially at Mass—transforms our relationship with money from something to possess into something to offer in love. Through a personal story of giving away childhood savings and a guided examen, the episode challenges listeners to detach from scarcity, grow in generosity, and see all financial resources as tools entrusted to them for the service of love.Journey Questions: Do I feel more joy spending money on myself or giving it away? Why?Am I living with a mentality of scarcity or abundance?Who in my life right now could benefit from my generosity? Here's a link to the examen: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cg-jzjNwptW2LBNTHiDKCS2lu9OZthaSH0riwqRDvLY/edit?usp=sharing General Information: Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here. The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations. Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B MusicMeditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A

    34 min
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5
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

Taste & See is a weekly podcast of heartfelt reflections and meditations on the Sunday readings. Join Zac Wierschem from Paradisus Dei as he guides you into a deeper encounter with Jesus—alongside a global community that prays together each week. Learn more about Paradisus Dei and our life-changing programs at: paradisusdei.org

Information

  • Creator
    Zac Wierschem
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Zac Wierschem
  • Show Website
    Taste & See

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